Orochimaru liked to pride themselves on being the smartest person in the room. It was a point of pride for them, since they had spent so many years researching and experimenting on how to achieve their various goals for immortality and furthering the understanding of how chakra changed things, of how chakra worked, and how to push it's limits to ever greater heights.
Of course, set backs were unfortunate. Some set backs greater than others. The unfortunate slowness of having to use prisoners and civilians in other nations had been a common annoyance, but a relatively simple matter back during the Third Shinobi War. Alas, after the war ended, Orochimaru had found themselves unable to prioritize research speed over the lives of their remaining patients.
Oh yes, they called them patients, because even though they often died extremely brutally, Orochimaru prided themselves on not letting them die without extracting every ounce of knowledge and understanding he could from them when possible.
It was to Orochimaru's surprise to receive a message from Kabuto. Apparently their sensei had found evidence that their research on the citizens and shinobi of Konoha had been at the permission and order of Danzo, and so their missing shinobi status was now revoked, allowing them passage into Konoha freely.
Orochimaru bristled. Permission? I didn't need anyone's permission! I merely took him on his offer! The idea of being shackled once more under Konoha's ethos of pretending to be nice made Orochimaru want to immediately go to Konoha so they could strangle their sensei in broad daylight just so that way they knew once and for all that Orochimaru bowed to no one!
The message continued, and Orochimaru found their anger slowly fading away as another emotion took it's place.
Curiosity.
A Nara with an innate Space-Time Jutsu around themselves? That worked 24/7 and somehow didn't use chakra as a source of power for it's activation?
Glee. Awe. Hunger.
The universe was truly generous with those who wished to understand how the world worked!
"The universe has finally given me a control variable! An ability unreliant on chakra nor seemingly any biological process is unheard of! Yes! Oh sweet Yomi, you've blessed me on this glorious day! With this, I can tap into the understanding of the universe that would be impossible otherwise!"
I must have him! Forget the Uchiha! Forget the Rinnegan! He's the One! The one who could finally crack the secrets on the universe!
'This world truly is beautiful. Soaked in blood, soaked in sin, filled with meaningless lives not realizing the blessings they were born with, and yet it is truly beautiful. Kabuto, I will head to Konoha soon. You must give me all you know on Shikamaru Nara. I need to know his likes, dislikes, fears, wants, hatreds, I must know everything about him, so that way I can make him mine. Inform sensei I will be returning to Konoha within four months. I have some cleaning up I need to do. Orochimaru.' With that written down on the scroll, they quickly sent it off with a Reverse Summoning.
They were in charge of the Sound, and they would obey Orochimaru without question. That was without a question. The Sand, on the other hand, would no doubt want to ensure that Orochimaru kept their end of the deal on creating weaknesses in Konoha's Barrier Jutsu and the walls of the village.
Now then, how to send the proper message to Sand that the deals off... Ah, that's satisfactory.
I'll just steal the Ichibi Jinchuriki and kill the Kazekage. It's not like they did a good job on the poor Jinchuriki's seal anyway. A quick fix and I can bring her along with me as a good gesture to Shikamaru Nara. After all, Shikamaru appears to be interested in half-Uzumaki's, and Aikemono is half-Uzumaki herself, even if she's unaware of it. Mm, better bring Karin as well, just in case. I'll need to end the patients and the experiments I'm running in those research centers within Sound, but such is the price of last minute innovation. Ah, the sacrifices I do for the glory of SCIENCE!